Nasarawa United head coach Mbwas Mangut was critical of the officiating in his side’s stalemate with Rivers United in Lafia on Sunday, www.aclsports.com reports.
The Solid Miners’ stuttering start to the 2026/27 NPFL season continued, as they failed to bounce back from last week’s 2-1 away defeat to Rangers in Owerri, settling for a hard-fought 1-1 draw at home against Rivers United.
The game burst into life in the 68th minute when disaster struck for the hosts. Nasarawa United defender Harrison Ebah, in an attempt to clear, inadvertently diverted the ball past his own goalkeeper for an own goal to hand the visitors the lead. However, substitute Musa Yakubu stepped up to perfectly dispatch a penalty late on to rescue a point for the Solid Miners.
Speaking after the game, Nasarawa United head coach Mangut Mbwas rued missed opportunities and insisted his side were denied two clear penalties earlier in the encounter.
“Well, it was a well-balanced game; both sides expressed themselves. It was a kind of defensive error; we conceded the goal, and we were able to come back. I’m not happy because of the scoreline, but I’ve seen a lot of improvements in my team,” the former Plateau United head coach said after the game.
“We kept on pressing until that error came, and after that error, we continued pressing. As far as I’m concerned, there were three penalties in our favour in this match. One in the first-half – they pulled my player from the shoulder when he was clear on goal, and the other one, the player was fouled from behind in the box.
“However, till the last minute of the game, we were still pressing, but we were very, very unlucky not to get the three points, even though it was not what we bargained for – four points from four games is poor,” Mangut concluded.
